Attachments
In the early morning of 4 October, air strikes hit no man’s land at the border between Lebanon and Syria (Masnaa/Jdaidet Yabous), which has been the main route for Syrians and Lebanese fleeing into Syria. As at 09:30 (Damascus time), that border crossing remains closed.
This development is of extreme concern to UNHCR.
The other official border crossing points (Al Arida, Joussieh, Daboussieh and Jesr Al Qmar) between Lebanon and Syria, where UNHCR and SARC are present, continue to be open.
Overview of Developments
• The arrivals from Lebanon to Syria continue. On 2 October, at the Jdaidet Yabous border point, some 14,000 Syrians and 3,000 Lebanese nationals reportedly crossed.
• Arrivals from Lebanon to Syria through the official border crossings remained steady but light, consistent with the day before. Jdaidet Yabous remains the primary border crossing for new arrivals. *As noted above, this border crossing point suffered an attack, causing the flow of arrivals to stop. Further details will be shared in the next edition of this flash update.
• At the Al Arida crossing point (Tartous), a total of 460 people including Lebanese (170) arrived on 3 October. UNHCR and SARC distributed more than 810 relief items including hygiene kits, adult diapers, water and food packages. The installation of a Rub-hall is also underway to offer families who arrive exhausted at the border a resting space.
• The Jesr Al Qmar crossing point (Homs) is increasingly seeing more new arrivals crossing into rural Homs, primarily by Syrian nationals. UNHCR is now regularly conducting visits to ensure that the situation on the ground is properly captured. SARC continues to provide water and food items to new arrivals.
• On 3 October, UNHCR observed an increase of new arrivals moving from Jdaidet Yabous towards northeast Syria, particularly to Ar-Raqqa Governorate.
• UNHCR and SARC continue to provide transportation to extremely vulnerable families from the Syrian borders to their destinations inside Syria. On 3 October new bus routes were expanded to facilitate travel from border crossings to Ar-Raqqa, Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Latakia, and Tartous. Increased numbers of new arrivals were observed in Hama Governorate seeking travel towards Ar-Raqqa with similar movements observed in other governorates. UNHCR and SARC intervened with free buses to complement existing transportation options in the governorate.
• Other nationals have continued to be recorded amongst the new arrivals. According to the Syrian Immigration Office, 17 Sudanese nationals have crossed into Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. Entry visas for Sudanese nationals continue to be waived.
• On 30 September, the Iraqi Embassy in Damascus announced a waiver of visa requirements for Lebanese nationals seeking to enter Iraq through its airport or border crossing with Syria. The Embassy also stated that it will facilitate entry for Lebanese vehicles at its land borders. Visas upon arrival will also be granted to Syrian women married to Lebanese, if a valid marriage registration is presented.
• The Iraqi Embassy also announced that Syrian immigration authorities will permit Iraqis fleeing from Lebanon to enter Syria with minimal identification requirements, for example accepting expired passports. Those who need to renew their passports can approach the Embassy to facilitate the onward journey to Iraq.